The Skills For Future Careers: Are You 2020-Ready?

 

The world of work is changing and getting yourself updated with a myriad of new skills might seem daunting. It is not always clear what to focus on.

 

Should you take an Artificial Intelligence (AI) course? How do you find the skills to take ideas from origination to revenue conversion? Do you need to attend a communication skills training? What should you do to help you excel in your career to prepare you for the next one?

 

The World Economic Forum (WEF) states in their report that 35 percent of the skills seen as essential today will change. While we’re not able to predict the future, yet, here are the 10 most important job skills every company will be looking for in 2020.

 

#1 Data Literacy

 

By the year 2020, Gartner expects that 80% of organisations will start to roll out internal data literacy initiatives to up-skill their workforce. While most companies are still trying to figure out how to makes sense of their data, a new breed of data-focused companies are mushrooming all around us.

 

Data literacy is needed to support not only fact-based decision making but to enable users to explore and experiment with data to uncover future opportunities. We are increasingly seeing companies hiring data-driven employees who champion the use of data throughout their work experiences.

 

#2 Social Intelligence

 

Another area where people have the edge on machines is with social intelligence — our ability to connect with others in a deep and direct way to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions are crucial.

 

Those who are skilled in self-regulation when it comes to social intelligence tend to be flexible and adapt well to change. They are also good at managing conflict and diffusing tense or difficult situations. This ability will be important as long as there are humans in the workforce since it impacts every interaction we have with one another.

 

#3 Critical Thinking

 

Not all professions will be about revenue and relationships – some are designed to test your market knowledge, your ability to systemically solve problems and generate innovative plans. Questions such as ‘How would you advise your clients about dealing with falling oil prices?’ is an example of how to use your critical thinking skills to argumentatively put forth your ideas.

 

Your ability to demonstrate your understanding of your clients’ challenges and argue how a new market trend will impact their business now and, in the future, can put you miles ahead among a sea of candidates.

 

#4 Novel and Adaptive Thinking

 

Being able to proficiently think and come up with ideas and responses beyond rote memorization or rule-based texts is an essential 21^st century skill. Ask yourself these questions: When was the last time you had a brilliant idea at the place where you work? What precipitated that idea?

 

The ability to see situations differently, to create unique solutions, to generate responses that are innovative has always been highly valued, never more so than now. What worked yesterday isn’t necessarily the best strategy for tomorrow. One must be cognitively flexible to new ideas and ways of doing things.

 

#5 Tech Savviness

 

A report by LinkedIn showed that the need for digital talent is fast-growing but supply is comparatively low. The company’s 2019 Emerging Jobs in Malaysia Report says Malaysia, like other countries, is facing a challenge in building its digital workforce.

 

According to the report, the top emerging jobs for Malaysia – data scientist, full-stack engineer, drive test engineer, user experience designer and content writer – are all related to technology.

 

Artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, blockchain, and more will become a part of every worker’s everyday experience, whether the workplace is a retailer or a law firm.

 

#6 Transdisciplinary

 

People who can correlate material from diverse knowledge bases and extract tangible results whether for a new business initiative or massive global issues will be prized in the future workplace.

 

Key to the transdisciplinary mindset is the “T-shaped person,” a concept popularised by Tim Brown, CEO of design firm IDEO. T-shaped individuals possess deep knowledge in a primary field (the upright part of the “T”), but cultivate a broad curiosity about areas of expertise outside that field (the crossbar of the “T”).

 

#7 Complex Decision Making

 

The WEF report shows that 36% of all jobs across all industries will require complex problem-solving abilities as a core skill by 2020. The shift in economic and political weight to Asia means it will be critical to understand how to adapt complex decision-making skills to Asian cultures and contexts.

 

For example, the ability to analyse diverse Asian markets, micro-markets, cultures and consumers, in order to develop creative solutions to tailor products and services appropriately requires having a thorough understanding of how decisions can impact the broader community.

 

#8 Collaboration

 

In 2020, we will see a proliferation of the gig economy and a shift towards a co-working mindset. Coordinating and collaborating with others is a part of people management skills. The success of a team highly depends on the coordination among its members. This skill improves when you first understand others and then get yourself understood. A team cannot win only by the effort of a single person.

 

#9 Cognitive Load Management

 

The Institute for the Future defines ‘cognitive load management’ as being the “ability to discriminate and filter information for importance, and to understand how to maximize cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques.”

 

Oftentimes, we have overloaded our individual and organisational circuits beyond capacity, leaving little to no room or energy for new learning to exist and take root. Awareness and skill-sets such as ‘cognitive load management’ will be just one of the new capacities and capabilities of today’s modern leaders.

 

Employees will only be able to turn the massive influx of data into an advantage if they can learn to effectively filter and focus on what is important.

 

#10 Stress Management

 

No workplace is immune to mental health and stress management issues – and their impact in psychological, social and economic terms is high. Workplace stress is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope”.

 

As an individual, the onus can be on yourself to find various coping mechanisms but companies are changing and finding supportive ways that enable individuals to talk about stress, anxiety and depression. The time has come to make the best mental health practices such as “culture-change training” a required skill for any team.

 

If you’re wondering about what to focus on when it comes to professional development in 2020, consider reaching out to us at The Edge for a confidential discussion or check out our job boards. We can help you identify the best opportunities for you – be it in the tech, finance, marketing, retail or supply-chain industries.